Tag: Desiree Linden

Happy Patriot’s Day, possibly the most important running holiday of the year! Last year I wrote about the crazy-stacked women’s elite field — I declared it was going to be a good year and I was definitely right even though there were plenty of surprises.

American women’s marathoning is a whole mood right now.

So, who to keep an eye on this year? Of the 22 women in the elite field, half of them have PRs under 2:23:00. The weather is forecasted to be similar to last year, although looks like a tailwind this year.

Celebrating Des Linden’s historic win at the 122nd Boston Marathon yesterday, we’re revisiting earlier posts about Des and her journey. This post about Des’ 4th-place finish at Boston in 2017 was originally published by Salty in April 2017.

“I’m disappointed,” Desiree Linden said after finishing fourth at the 2017 Boston Marathon.

How could she not be. The race of her dreams, the one where she broke the tape on Boylston Street, has been ten years in the making. It’s been ten years since she first crossed that finish line in 19th place, and Monday she was there to be first. She would settle for nothing less.

She did not break the tape. She did not come in first. She was fourth. And it wasn’t the head-to-head battle of the wills that she fought so hard and lost in 2011. Instead, she was broken with many miles left to go, many miles left to mourn.

I cannot speak for Desiree Linden. I’ve only spent a few hours talking with her, and once sat in the back of a gator for 70 minutes as I watched her race in front of me. I do not know her particularly well, but I know enough to know she’s human. As a fellow human, I understand the pain of disappointment, of putting so much stock into one race and how much it stings when your best isn’t good enough. When Des’s voice broke in her post-race interviews, with Ryan concernedly looking on, I understood. Read more >>

Celebrating Des Linden’s historic win at the 122nd Boston Marathon yesterday, we’re revisiting our conversations with Des in Detroit in Spring of 2016. This interview was originally posted by Salty in April, 2017

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It’s one of those Midwest spring days, the ones 30 degrees cooler than the day before, with pouring rain that chilled more than snow as it drummed down on rows of sleepy mid-century cottages and split-levels. It’s the kind of day where nobody wants to stand around outside, particularly not on a Saturday morning after a hard 0-dark-thirty workout that didn’t go exactly as planned. But there is Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympic marathoner, bundled up with coffee in hand, sleepily shouting “Good job!” to participants in the Bill Roney 5k.

It doesn’t take much for Des’s husband, Ryan to get her to smile and gin up a little enthusiasm despite the conditions and her lingering angst about the workout, which had gone ever-so-slightly awry.

What brings Des to this rainy street corner in suburban Detroit, three weeks before she hopes to win the Boston Marathon? Read more >>

It’s a very Salty special edition of the Roundup and Roundtable, BOSTON MARATHON style! Where do we begin???

Des. We believed. It was hard to have a “favorite” going into this race but man, we’ve got a lot of Salty love for her. This time last year, we published “That Desiree Linden, She’s Second to None.” And now — finally — she’s first. Winning Boston is her first marathon win. Ever. Read more >>

“I’m disappointed,” Desiree Linden said after finishing fourth at the 2017 Boston Marathon.

How could she not be. The race of her dreams, the one where she broke the tape on Boylston Street, has been ten years in the making. It’s been ten years since she first crossed that finish line in 19th place, and Monday she was there to be first. She would settle for nothing less.

She did not break the tape. She did not come in first. She was fourth. And it wasn’t the head-to-head battle of the wills that she fought so hard and lost in 2011. Instead, she was broken with many miles left to go, many miles left to mourn.

I cannot speak for Desiree Linden. I’ve only spent a few hours talking with her, and once sat in the back of a gator for 70 minutes as I watched her race in front of me. I do not know her particularly well, but I know enough to know she’s human. As a fellow human, I understand the pain of disappointment, of putting so much stock into one race and how much it stings when your best isn’t good enough. When Des’s voice broke in her post-race interviews, with Ryan concernedly looking on, I understood. Read more >>

It’s one of those Midwest spring days, the ones 30 degrees cooler than the day before, with pouring rain that chilled more than snow as it drummed down on rows of sleepy mid-century cottages and split-levels. It’s the kind of day where nobody wants to stand around outside, particularly not on a Saturday morning after a hard 0-dark-thirty workout that didn’t go exactly as planned. But there is Desiree Linden, a two-time Olympic marathoner, bundled up with coffee in hand, sleepily shouting “Good job!” to participants in the Bill Roney 5k.

It doesn’t take much for Des’s husband, Ryan to get her to smile and gin up a little enthusiasm despite the conditions and her lingering angst about the workout, which had gone ever-so-slightly awry.

What brings Des to this rainy street corner in suburban Detroit, three weeks before she hopes to win the Boston Marathon? Read more >>